MILNROW mother-of-eight Lizzy Bardsley turned on the charm at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday night when she picked up an award for the show that shot her to fame.

PRIZE night... Lizzy Bardsley with the National Television Award for the reality show ‘Wife Swap’.

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MILNROW mother-of-eight Lizzy Bardsley turned on the charm at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday night when she picked up an award for the show that shot her to fame.

She took time out from looking after celebrities at a Blackpool B&B, where she is filming her latest reality TV show 'Bed and Bardsley', to collect the 'Most Popular Factual Programme' accolade at the National Television Awards for Channel 4's 'Wife Swap'.

Wearing a glamorous black strapless evening gown, the 31-year-old of Hursted Road, who is facing benefit fraud charges next week, rubbed shoulders with the likes of awards host Sir Trevor MacDonald, Ant and Dec, Simon Cowell and chat-show host Graham Norton at the glittering ceremony before enjoying a star-studded party.

As the show's best-known character, she was asked by the producers of 'Wife Swap' to accept the prize.

She shot to fame for revealing on the programme that she and husband Mark got £37,500 in benefits to raise their family and for an explosive, four-letter showdown with Devon mother-of-two Emma Spry.

Lizzy has since appeared on various TV shows, including 'Back to Reality' and 'Cosmetic Surgery Live' and this summer she gave a lecture on reality TV to executives at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Lizzy, who went to London with her older sister, Jenny, said: "I had a ball on Tuesday night. Rather than 'who did I see?' it was more a case of 'who didn't I see?

"It was like a who's who of celebrity.

"I didn't know until it was announced that 'Wife Swap' had won the award.

"I didn't have a speech prepared but I remembered to thank the viewers and the production crew.

"It is 12 months since 'Wife Swap' was shown and it's turned my life around.

"It was a lovely party afterwards and it was exciting to meet the likes of Ant and Dec, who were very funny lads.

"I've met some of the cast of Coronation Street before on nights out in Manchester and they are really nice."

Lizzy is now looking forward to reliving her moment of glory again with husband Mark, who stayed in Blackpool to continue filming for 'Bed and Bardsley,' which will be shown on Channel Four in the new year.

She added: "Mark didn't get the chance to see the awards because he was busy filming, but he did record it so we could watch it later.

"The bed and breakfast is going really well and we have already been looking after some celebrities."